How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot” • Hacker News Board

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#241

Post by lmilcin » Fri, Jan 04, 2019, 4:51 AM UTC

m1n1 wrote: post #44

ummonk wrote: post #25

There are smaller things (bicycles, motorcycles, pedestrians) that can sneak into the gap between the side and rearview mirror views here. And colliding with one of those is much more likely to cause serious injury or death than colliding with a car. It's a much better idea to make sure your side and rear mirrors have complete coverage (i.e. no gaps) at the back, and actually turning your head to check the blind spot…

This, and the other comments that say turning your head is still necessary. I tried what the link suggests and had many instances where a motorcycle zipped by close to my car -- I didn't notice them until [what would have been] too late because I couldn't see the area next to my car easily that way. Now I have my mirrors adjusted so I can see motorcycles better, and I turn my head to check the remainder. All humans a…

Turning your head is not necessary. When you have side mirrors set up correctly you need to first look in the rear view mirror and only then in the side mirror.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#242

Post by Zelphyr » Fri, Jan 04, 2019, 4:55 AM UTC

I have a seven year-old Prius and the support columns on the left and right of the windshield are huge. I can't count the number of times I'll be pulling up to a stop sign only to stop and freak out when a pedestrian walks right in front of me. See, they're walking across the cross-walk at a pace that seems to match my slow speed but they're behind that giant support column so I don't see them until I've stopped. Usually, they're freaking out too and mouthing/gesturing bad things at me for not stopping sooner. This, of course, coupled with the fact that they were probably looking at their phone and couldn't hear me because at that speed, the engine has shut off.

The instructions in this post are great and I'm going to follow them the next time I get in my car. Still, I hope Toyota and other manufacturers start making pedestrian detection systems and blind spot information systems standard in all vehicles soon.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#243

Post by decebalus1 » Fri, Jan 04, 2019, 5:12 AM UTC

mattmg83 wrote: post #16

Related concepts, in the Netherlands they taught everyone to open their car door with the right hand, which makes your head turn and improves odds of spotting a cyclist. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/16/how-to-sa...

That's amazingly simple and effective. Awesome!

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#244

Post by u801e » Fri, Jan 04, 2019, 5:26 AM UTC

Johnny555 wrote: post #231

u801e wrote: post #219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Where else would you put it? Just have the cyclist ride in the right-most lane available for traffic. Then there are no crossing movements to deal with. Cars making a right turn will either be directly ahead of the cyclist or directly behind the cyclist.

Does that really solve the problem of cars turning to the right in front of cyclists? Seems like the same motorist that would pass the cyclist in the bike lane and turn right in front of him, would also pass the cyclist in the roadway and turn right in front of him.

In my experience, it does if one rides in a way to take up the entire lane. Many motorists don't perceive bike lanes as actual lanes of traffic they have to yield to when making turning movements. But they will do so for general purpose lanes.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#245

Post by hnuser1234 » Fri, Jan 04, 2019, 5:28 AM UTC

mh- wrote: post #235

jacobolus wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> All humans are legally blind in their peripheral vision just a few degrees off-axis, This is a misleading summary. Humans can’t read text or distinguish fine textures in peripheral vision, but peripheral vision is very good at detecting moving objects (that’s arguably its main purpose). I like to think of peripheral vision as “prey vision” – as in, “what would I need to know about my environment if I were a deer an…

> detecting moving objects substantial movement relative to your position/trajectory.

Not to be rude, but yeah, what else would they mean? Is your peripheral good at picking up anything on the planet since it's always spinning? Everything is always moving relative to something else.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#246

Post by Lucent » Fri, Jan 04, 2019, 5:41 AM UTC

I looked at some other "tips" in the folder and found this: http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~gdguo/driving/RoadMarkings.htm which suggests it's OK to turn into any lane, near or far. That's not acceptable in my state. You must turn into the nearest lane.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#247

Post by adrr » Fri, Jan 04, 2019, 5:45 AM UTC

kazinator wrote: post #103

adrr wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe you should make an article on it. The article diagrams clearly shows a blind spot for lane splitting motorcycles just like every other article on the subject including the youtube videos showing proper alignment mirrors. A car following closely behind you impedes the rearview mirror. Just look out of it next time your stuck in stop and go traffic where lane splitting happens.

> The article diagrams clearly shows a blind spot for lane splitting motorcycles No it doesn't; it clearly shows a blind spot immediately next to your vehicle that can at best hide a cyclist who sticks right next to your rear passenger door, or rear left body panel. (Unsurprisingly: these are the parts of your car you don't see.) You might nevertheless him or her in the rear-view through the rear passenger window or…

>you'd be foolish to execute a lane change while being tail-gated like that for reasons not related to stripe-riding motorcyclists.

Lane splitting happens in stop and go traffic when you traveling at 10mph or less. People need to change lanes in these conditions like getting from HOV lane to an exit. People don't lane split when traffic is flowing.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#248

Post by kqr » Fri, Jan 04, 2019, 5:46 AM UTC

wahern wrote: post #168

InitialLastName wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Biking, I'm perpetually baffled by the people who drive up behind me, overtake me, and seem to forget I'm there before they even finish passing me. The worst case is when they expect to turn right soon; I consistently have drivers half-overtake me and then start moving towards me, or turn right across a bike lane without looking.

For a stretch of a few hundred feet (like a city block) where you'll both likely come to a stop, do you prefer cars overtake you beforehand or to trail behind? Do cars trailing you make you anxious? I don't think I've ever forgotten about a biker I've passed, but I also like to avoid situations where I might forget, which put the biker in a position to surprise me, or which impede my maneuverability if something else…

I don't agree with the practice, but a lot of bicyclists will readily pass car drivers around intersections (because cars are bulky and take much longer to safely navigate through an intersection) so you rarely lose /that/ much by poking around a block or two.

Either way, it sounds like you've given it a lot of thought so you're likely the least of my worries. Just imagine it would be your child on the bicycle and you'll probably do the right thing. (Short of picking them up -- don't do that.)

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#249

Post by jdbernard » Fri, Jan 04, 2019, 5:47 AM UTC

hnuser1234 wrote: post #245

mh- wrote: post #235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> detecting moving objects substantial movement relative to your position/trajectory.

Not to be rude, but yeah, what else would they mean? Is your peripheral good at picking up anything on the planet since it's always spinning? Everything is always moving relative to something else.

It's important to be explicitly clear in this case because objects traveling next to you in the road, which would be visible only in your peripheral vision, may be effectively stationary reflective to you. So you can't rely on your peripheral vision to notice them.

Re: How to Eliminate the Dreaded “Blind Spot”

#250

Post by adrianN » Fri, Jan 04, 2019, 5:59 AM UTC

wahern wrote: post #168

InitialLastName wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Biking, I'm perpetually baffled by the people who drive up behind me, overtake me, and seem to forget I'm there before they even finish passing me. The worst case is when they expect to turn right soon; I consistently have drivers half-overtake me and then start moving towards me, or turn right across a bike lane without looking.

For a stretch of a few hundred feet (like a city block) where you'll both likely come to a stop, do you prefer cars overtake you beforehand or to trail behind? Do cars trailing you make you anxious? I don't think I've ever forgotten about a biker I've passed, but I also like to avoid situations where I might forget, which put the biker in a position to surprise me, or which impede my maneuverability if something else…

I prefer that you stay behind me until it's safe to pass (that is, you can change lanes to pass) and I won't see you again thirty seconds later at the red light.